


Epilogue

by chaosmanor



Series: The Gift [14]
Category: Lord of the Rings - J. R. R. Tolkien
Genre: Angst, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2003-12-18
Updated: 2003-12-18
Packaged: 2017-10-10 23:34:20
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 992
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/105664
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/chaosmanor/pseuds/chaosmanor





	Epilogue

Legolas was holding Aragorn when he died, felt his very last breath leave his body, listened to the silence that followed. He kept holding Aragorn for a long time, long after his heart was still, until it was time to light a candle.

By the light of the candle he carefully washed Aragorn's body and dressed him, and combed his hair.

Then, as the candle guttered and a deep silence fell over the room, he tried to say goodbye to the man who had been everything to him. Every breath he took was an effort, he had to force himself to keep breathing now that Aragorn had stopped. All that kept him trying was the thin ridge of scar tissue on his right forearm. He pushed up the sleeve of Aragorn's shirt to find the matching scar, and pressed their arms together in a warrior's embrace, remembering the promise he had given on the fields of Pelennor.

 

When dawn came, Legolas dressed himself and opened the chamber door and rang the bell to call a guard. "Wake Eldarion," he said, and his voice broke, and the guard nodded and tears filled his eyes as he went to wake Aragorn's son.

 

When Eldarion appeared, disheveled and wrapped in a robe, Legolas stood back and held the door of the bedchamber open. He and Aragorn had kept their chamber completely private. No servants ever entered, no family member had seen more than the antechamber, this had been their own place. But now, Eldarion knelt beside the bed that had belonged to Aragorn and Legolas, and held his father's hand.

Legolas knelt beside him and slipped Barahir's ring from his finger and took Eldarion's hand and pressed the ring to his palm. Eldarion's eyes were the same colour as Aragorn's and Legolas felt tears slipping down his face when Eldarion embraced him.

 

There was movement and voices and Legolas was distantly aware that the rest of the family was in the room, then a trumpet sounded a long mournful note high above them, signaling the king's death.

 

Gimli's hand was firm on Legolas's shoulder, and Legolas turned when Gimli said, "It's time for us to go now."

Legolas stood and Gimli embraced him. Gimli was stout and his beard was silver, but he was still the same true friend, and Legolas said, "You were there at the beginning, it is right that you are here at the end."

 

Legolas stood beside Gimli as the family kissed him. Barahir's ring rested on Eldarion's finger and Legolas would have stumbled and fallen had Gimli's arm had not been tight around his waist.

 

Legolas was silent as the river Anduin carried them towards the sea and the day became bright around them. They traveled on through the next night in the elven boat that Legolas had built, and the following day brought them to the end of the river. The seagulls wheeled and called above them, the boat moved up and down on the waves. Legolas sat with his hand on the tiller, and the sail filled as the breeze blew steadily, and Gimli kept his hand firmly on the edge of the boat. .

When night had fallen, Legolas said, "I can not do this, Gimli, I am not strong enough." And his hand slipped from the tiller and he lay on the deck.

The boat turned sideways to the swell and began to wallow, and Gimli grabbed the tiller and shouted, "Mahal! Mahal!"

A white robed figure appeared on the deck and knelt beside Legolas and looked up at Gimli and smiled.

"Gandalf!" Gimli cried, and a wave broke over the edge of the boat.

Gandalf reached up and turned the tiller and said, "Come, steady the tiller, and I will show you where to go, then I will take Legolas with me."

Gimli nodded and braced his hand on the wooden handle, and Gandalf pointed up into the sky. "Steer for Earendil, and he will guide you to Valinor." Then Gandalf bent over and picked up Legolas in his arms and said, "Your friends will greet you at the dock. I will speak to you again later." Then he was gone, and Gimli was alone on the boat as it passed through the veil.

* * * * * * *

Elbereth smoothed the hair from Legolas' face and stepped back from the pallet. "What do you want me to do, Olorin?" she asked the white robed figure beside her.

Gandalf frowned. "You made him love Aragorn, you must fix this too."

"Aragorn is a mortal. There is nothing I can do."

"Tuor walks these shores with Idril. Elwing is with Earendil. There are exceptions."

Elbereth considered for a moment, and Gandalf spoke again. "Aragorn and Legolas would have loved anyway, if not for Arwen's interference, but they did not ask you to intervene. Legolas didn't ask to love Aragorn as deeply as he did. It was something that was beyond his control. Make this another exception."

"I can not have Aragorn here, but I will do what I can."

* * * * * * * * * *

Legolas woke slowly as gentle kisses were pressed to his face and he sighed and slid his arms around the shoulders of the man above him.

"Wake up, love," Aragorn whispered. "I have been waiting for you."

Legolas opened his eyes, and Aragorn was smiling softly at him. "You are with me," he said in surprise and he stroked Aragorn's face, and the ring of Barahir was on his finger again.

Aragorn was as he was before age and disease swelled his joints and ravaged his body, wearing his leather Ranger cloths, like he had when he and Legolas first loved.

"I am here with you," Aragorn said, and he lowered his mouth to Legolas'.

* * * * * * * * * * *

Elbereth closed the door of the room where Legolas lay sleeping on his pallet and turned to Olorin. "Are you satisfied now?' she asked.

He shook his head. "It is not enough."

"It is all that will be."


End file.
